Note for teachers using this lesson plan
This lesson focuses on distinguishing between entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs and identifying the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Prepare by having relevant case studies or short stories about Nigerian entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs ready for discussion. Ensure students understand the practical implications of these concepts, especially the challenges, and encourage active participation in the debate activity. By the end of the lesson, learners should be able to clearly differentiate the two roles and articulate key entrepreneurial challenges in the Nigerian context.
Class: SS 1
Term: Second Term
Week: 7
Age: 15 years
Duration: 60 minutes
Subject: Beauty and Cosmetology
Curriculum Theme: Entrepreneurship Mindset
Focal competence: Recognizing the value of entrepreneurship for societal well-being
Key competencies/values: Collaboration; Information Literacy; Entrepreneurship
Skills:
- differentiate between intrapreneur and entrepreneur
- identify the challenges of entrepreneurship practices in Nigeria
Previous Lesson: Entrepreneurship and Its Benefits
Topic: Concept Of Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneur And Entrepreneur
Subject Matter: The entrepreneur and entrepreneur, Challenges of entrepreneurship in Nigeria
Specific Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils/students should be able to:
Cognitive Domain
- differentiate between intrapreneur and entrepreneur;
- identify the challenges of entrepreneurship practices in Nigeria;
- outline the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs.
Affective Domain
- appreciate the value of entrepreneurship for societal well-being;
- participate actively in discussions about entrepreneurial challenges.
Psychomotor Domain
- engage in a debate on the challenges of entrepreneurship practices in Nigeria;
- research information on entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship.
Social Domain
- collaborate effectively during group activities and debates.
Reference Materials
The following resources were used in planning this lesson:
- 2025 New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
- Relevant State Unified Scheme of Work
- The HeadTeacher Scheme of work For The New Revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC)
Instructional Materials
The teacher will teach this lesson with the aid of:
- ICT devices (e.g., projector, computer)
- Workbooks
- Pictorial books in trade areas
- Video clips on successful entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs
- Cardboards and markers
- Flip chart or whiteboard
- Pens and notebooks
Rationale for the Lesson
This lesson is important because it introduces students to the fundamental concepts of entrepreneurship, distinguishing between those who start their own ventures and those who innovate within existing organisations. Understanding these roles helps students recognise potential career paths and the skills required for success. It also equips them with knowledge of the common hurdles faced by businesses in Nigeria, fostering a realistic perspective on entrepreneurial endeavors.
Prerequisite/Previous Knowledge
Students should have a basic understanding of business, innovation, and problem-solving from their junior secondary education or general knowledge.
Lesson Content/Board Summary
Concept Of Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneur And Intrapreneur
The Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur
Entrepreneurship involves creating and managing a new business venture with the aim of generating profit while taking on financial risks. Within this broad concept, two distinct roles emerge: the entrepreneur and the intrapreneur.
The Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards. They are often seen as innovators, a source of new ideas, goods, services, and business procedures. Entrepreneurs identify market needs, gather resources, and launch ventures to meet those needs.
Types of Entrepreneurs:
- Innovator Entrepreneurs: These individuals are creative and introduce new products, services, or methods of production. They are often pioneers in their fields.
- Imitator Entrepreneurs: They adopt successful innovations from others and adapt them to local conditions or different markets. They improve upon existing ideas rather than creating entirely new ones.
- Fabian Entrepreneurs: These are cautious and skeptical individuals who are reluctant to adopt changes. They only implement new ideas when it becomes absolutely necessary to survive in the market.
- Drone Entrepreneurs: They are resistant to change and prefer to stick to traditional methods of production, even at the cost of reduced profits. They may even suffer losses rather than innovate.
- Social Entrepreneurs: These entrepreneurs focus on creating social value rather than just profit. They address societal problems through innovative business models.
Characteristics of Entrepreneurs:
- Risk-takers: They are willing to take calculated risks for potential rewards.
- Innovative: They constantly seek new ideas, products, or ways of doing things.
- Visionary: They have a clear vision for their business and future goals.
- Self-confident: They believe in their abilities and ideas.
- Persistent: They do not give up easily when faced with challenges.
- Decisive: They can make quick and effective decisions.
- Goal-oriented: They set clear objectives and work towards achieving them.
- Adaptable: They can adjust to changing market conditions and circumstances.
Skills/Competencies of Entrepreneurs:
- Leadership skills: Ability to guide and motivate a team.
- Problem-solving skills: Capacity to identify and resolve issues effectively.
- Communication skills: Ability to convey ideas clearly to customers, investors, and employees.
- Financial management skills: Understanding of budgeting, accounting, and investment.
- Marketing skills: Ability to promote products or services effectively.
- Networking skills: Building and maintaining relationships with others in the industry.
- Time management skills: Efficiently allocating time to various tasks.
Functions of Entrepreneurs:
- Innovation: Introducing new products, services, or processes.
- Risk-bearing: Taking on the financial and operational risks of a new venture.
- Organisation and coordination: Bringing together resources (land, labour, capital) to create a business.
- Decision-making: Making strategic choices for the business’s direction and operations.
- Resource mobilisation: Sourcing funds, materials, and human capital.
The Intrapreneur
An intrapreneur is an employee within a large organisation who is given the freedom and financial support to create new products, services, or systems, essentially acting like an entrepreneur within the company. They leverage the resources of the existing company to innovate.
Types of Intrapreneurs:
- Administrative Intrapreneurs: Focus on improving existing processes, systems, and administrative efficiency within the company.
- Opportunistic Intrapreneurs: Identify and pursue new business opportunities that align with the company’s strategic goals.
- Advocate Intrapreneurs: Champion new ideas and projects, often convincing management to invest in their vision.
- Change Agent Intrapreneurs: Drive significant organisational change and transformation.
Characteristics of Intrapreneurs:
- Innovative: They generate new ideas and solutions within the company.
- Proactive: They take initiative and seek out opportunities for improvement.
- Resourceful: They effectively use company resources to achieve their goals.
- Team player: They collaborate well with colleagues and departments.
- Persistent: They push through internal obstacles to implement their ideas.
- Strategic thinker: They align their innovations with the company’s overall objectives.
- Influential: They can persuade others within the organisation to support their projects.
Skills/Competencies of Intrapreneurs:
- Project management skills: Ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects.
- Internal networking: Building relationships across different departments.
- Negotiation skills: Securing resources and approvals within the organisation.
- Presentation skills: Pitching ideas effectively to management.
- Problem-solving skills: Addressing challenges specific to corporate environments.
- Adaptability: Navigating corporate structures and policies.
Functions of Intrapreneurs:
- Innovation within the company: Developing new products, services, or processes for the existing organisation.
- Driving change: Initiating and implementing improvements that enhance the company’s competitiveness.
- Optimising resources: Utilising the company’s existing assets and infrastructure efficiently for new ventures.
- Boosting employee morale: Inspiring other employees through their innovative spirit.
- Identifying new markets: Discovering untapped opportunities that the company can pursue.
Factors Influencing Intrapreneur and Entrepreneur
Both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs are influenced by various factors that shape their success and approach:
Factors Influencing Entrepreneurs:
- Market opportunity: The presence of unmet needs or gaps in the market.
- Access to capital: Availability of funding from investors, loans, or personal savings.
- Regulatory environment: Government policies, taxes, and ease of doing business.
- Support networks: Mentors, incubators, and business associations.
- Personal drive and motivation: Individual passion, resilience, and vision.
- Economic conditions: Overall state of the economy, consumer spending power.
Factors Influencing Intrapreneurs:
- Organisational culture: A company’s openness to innovation, risk-taking, and employee empowerment.
- Management support: Encouragement and resources provided by senior leadership.
- Access to company resources: Availability of budget, technology, and human capital within the organisation.
- Reward systems: Recognition and incentives for successful internal innovations.
- Internal bureaucracy: The level of red tape and approval processes that can hinder innovation.
- Team collaboration: The ability to work with different departments to bring ideas to fruition.
Challenges of Entrepreneurship Practices in Nigeria
Despite the potential for growth, entrepreneurs in Nigeria face numerous obstacles that can hinder their success. These challenges often require resilience, adaptability, and strategic planning to overcome.
Key Challenges:
- Funding:
- Lack of access to capital: Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to secure loans from commercial banks due to high interest rates, stringent collateral requirements, and perceived high risk.
- Limited venture capital: The availability of angel investors and venture capitalists is still relatively low compared to developed economies, making it hard for startups to scale.
- High cost of borrowing: When funds are available, the interest rates can be prohibitive, increasing the financial burden on new businesses.
- Basic Infrastructure:
- Erratic power supply: Inconsistent electricity forces businesses to rely on expensive alternative power sources like generators, significantly increasing operational costs and reducing competitiveness.
- Poor road networks: Bad roads lead to higher transportation costs, longer delivery times, and damage to goods, affecting supply chains and market access.
- Inadequate internet connectivity: Unreliable and expensive internet services hamper digital operations, e-commerce, and access to global markets and information.
- Water supply issues: Many businesses struggle with access to clean and consistent water, impacting hygiene and production processes, especially in industries like beauty and cosmetology.
- Lack of Skills and Values:
- Inadequate managerial skills: Many entrepreneurs lack formal training in business management, leading to poor planning, resource allocation, and decision-making.
- Limited technical skills: A shortage of skilled labour in specific trades (e.g., advanced cosmetology techniques, digital marketing) can affect product quality and service delivery.
- Poor financial literacy: Entrepreneurs may struggle with budgeting, record-keeping, and understanding financial statements, leading to mismanagement of funds.
- Lack of integrity and work ethic: Issues such as corruption, dishonesty, and a poor work ethic among some employees or business partners can undermine business operations and trust.
- Insufficient entrepreneurial education: The education system may not adequately equip individuals with practical entrepreneurial skills and mindsets needed for the real world.
Teaching Methods/Instructional Techniques
Discussion, Explanation, Question and Answer, Group Work, Debate, Research, Practical Activity
Instructional Procedures
Step 1: Introduction
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Engaging/Activating Prior Knowledge
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher greets the students and asks them to name some successful business owners they know in Nigeria and what makes them successful. The teacher then introduces the topic: “Concept of Entrepreneurship: The Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur.”
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils respond by naming business owners and sharing their thoughts on their success. They listen attentively to the topic introduction.
Learning Point: Introduction to entrepreneurship
Step 2: Defining Entrepreneur and Intrapreneur
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation/Definition
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the meaning of an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur, highlighting their core differences. The teacher provides examples of each, especially within the beauty and cosmetology sector or other familiar industries.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen, ask questions for clarity, and take initial notes on the definitions.
Learning Point: Entrepreneur and intrapreneur definitions
Step 3: Characteristics and Skills
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Elaboration/Comparison
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher outlines the characteristics and essential skills/competencies required for both entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, encouraging students to identify how these traits contribute to success. The teacher also briefly mentions types and functions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils identify and discuss the characteristics and skills, noting similarities and differences between the two roles.
Learning Point: Entrepreneurial characteristics and skills
Step 4: Factors Influencing Roles
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Explanation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher explains the various factors that influence both entrepreneurs (e.g., market opportunity, access to capital) and intrapreneurs (e.g., organisational culture, management support).
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen and contribute examples of influencing factors they might have observed.
Learning Point: Influencing factors for roles
Step 5: Research Activity on Differences
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Research/Information Literacy
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides students to search the internet (using available ICT devices) or other sources for more information on the differences between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur. Students work in pairs or small groups.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils actively search for information, discuss findings with their partners, and prepare to share key distinctions.
Learning Point: Differentiating entrepreneur and intrapreneur
Step 6: Challenges of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria (Debate)
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Facilitation/Debate
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher introduces the challenges of entrepreneurship in Nigeria (funding, basic infrastructure, lack of skills and values). The teacher then guides students to engage in a short debate or group discussion on these challenges, asking them to propose potential solutions.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils participate in the debate, presenting arguments, identifying challenges, and suggesting solutions for entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
Learning Point: Nigerian entrepreneurship challenges
Step 7: Evaluation/Review
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Questioning/Assessment
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher evaluates the learning by asking the following questions:
- What is the main difference between an entrepreneur and an intrapreneur?
- Mention two characteristics of a successful entrepreneur.
- Identify three challenges faced by entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
- How can an intrapreneur contribute to a company’s growth?
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils answer orally and in writing.
Learning Point: Understanding entrepreneurship concepts
Step 8: Note-Taking
Time: 10 minutes
Teaching Skill: Guided Writing
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher guides pupils/students to copy the essential Board Summary notes, including definitions, characteristics, and challenges, into their notebooks.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils/students copy the notes carefully into their notebooks.
Learning Point: Recording key lesson points
Step 9: Conclusion
Time: 5 minutes
Teaching Skill: Consolidation
Teacher’s Activity: The teacher summarises the key takeaways from the lesson, reiterating the importance of understanding both entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial roles and the need for innovative solutions to overcome challenges in Nigeria. The teacher encourages students to think about how they can apply these concepts in their future careers, especially in beauty and cosmetology.
Pupils’ Activity: Pupils listen attentively and ask any final questions.
Learning Point: Reinforcing entrepreneurship understanding
Continuous Assessment/Further Study
Type: Homework/Further Reading
Instruction: Answer the following questions in your notebook and be prepared to discuss them in the next class:
- Research and write a short paragraph about a Nigerian entrepreneur in the beauty and cosmetology industry, highlighting their characteristics and any challenges they faced.
- Imagine you are an intrapreneur in a large beauty product manufacturing company. Propose one innovative idea to improve a product or process within the company.
- Discuss how the lack of basic infrastructure specifically affects a beauty salon business in a Nigerian city.
Lesson Keywords
- Entrepreneur – An individual who creates a new business, bearing most of the risks and enjoying most of the rewards.
- Intrapreneur – An employee within a large organisation who is given the freedom and financial support to create new products, services, or systems.
- Funding – Financial resources needed to start or operate a business.
- Infrastructure – Basic physical and organisational structures and facilities (e.g., buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for the operation of a society or enterprise.
- Innovation – The introduction of new ideas, methods, or products.
Differentiation
Support: For students who struggle, provide simplified definitions and more direct examples. Pair them with stronger students during research and debate activities. Offer sentence starters for their debate contributions.
Extension: Encourage advanced students to research government policies aimed at supporting entrepreneurship in Nigeria and discuss their effectiveness. They can also explore specific case studies of successful intrapreneurship in global companies.
Suggested Lesson Videos
For further understanding, students can search YouTube for:
- “Entrepreneur vs Intrapreneur explained”
- “Challenges of entrepreneurship in Nigeria”
- “Nigerian entrepreneurs success stories”

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